Afterthoughts
by MasochisticXMind
Summary: All his life, Sasuke has been shunned and completely regarded as worthless by his father. Finally. a chance comes up for Sasuke to receive the love from his father that he has always wanted... but is it worth his caring brother's life? One-Shot.


"Nii-san, wait up!" A boy called, panting. Sasuke was struggling to keep up with his brother's long strides, but he somehow managed to remain right behind his footsteps while jogging. He watched as his 12 year old brother turned his head over his shoulder and smirked, and then continued walking.

They were venturing through the deep forest of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The trees shielded them from the sun, although tiny rays of light seeped through the leaves. The sounds of birds chirping and the rustling sounds of the wildlife reached Sasuke's ears as he sprinted through the green woods. The grass was soft against his feet, and the air smelled like summer.

Out of breath, Sasuke leaned against a tree and placed one hand on his leg, while the back of the other spread across his forhead. He was panting, trying to regain his energy while he looked around. Itachi was nearly out of sight now, and Sasuke knew that chasing off into the unknown to catch up with him would not be wise. He was getting ready to sit down when he heard a faint voice say, "We're here."

Sasuke looked towards the source of the sound and saw his brother motioning Sasuke to follow him. Sasuke's feet lead himself slowly and cautiously in Itachi's direction. Sasuke stared at Itachi in curiosity when he pointed into an open space above them. Sasuke's eyes followed his finger, and he walked into the gap between the trees, automatically being warmed by the sun smiling down upon them.

Sasuke's mouth opened slowly in a gap as he saw the scene before him; a beautiful waterfall with clear water was pouring from an upward cliff. The water had a special sort of sparkle to it, as though it were made of a thousand butterflies. He could see the reflections of practically every color in the water but when he looked up, there was no sign of a rainbow. Sasuke dipped his finger into the pool and watched as a ripple formed and all of the colors faded together. He shivered a bit at the contrasting water temperature compared to the warming weather.

A bird flew overhead from the cliff where the fountain started. This bird had an orange tinge to it, and Sasuke could swear that whenever the bird flapped its wings, fire would burst from it, leaving a trail of red in the sky. Sasuke could not help but wonder if this place was magical.

Sasuke looked to his right to find his brother sitting on a rock, staring out into the open water. Itachi seemed to be taking in the atmosphere with his searching eyes. "Nii-san, how did you find this place?" Sasuke asked him, unable to contain his excitement.

"I have my ways." Itachi said as he stripped off his shirt and jumped in. Sasuke watched as he surfaced with his jet black hair now out of its regular ponytail and thrown behind his back. Itachi seemed oddly comfortable with the cold temperature of the water. Without warning, Itachi grabbed Sasuke's arms and pulled him down into the deep icy blue depths. As Sasuke surfaced, he gasped for air and automatically glared at Itachi while shivering.

"What was that for?" Sasuke's chattering teeth yelled, rubbing his arms in the freezing water.

Itachi ignored him and swam towards the bottom of the waterfall. He swam straight toward the waterfall and rested against the rocky wall in the dry area in the water between the waterfall and the wall. Sasuke rolled my eyes and then went to join him.

Being only seven years old, Sasuke struggled a bit and could not reach his destination as gracefully as Itachi, but eventually got to his goal all the same. Itachi sighed in tranquility as he closed his eyes, enjoying the bath of light he was recieving that pierced through the water. Itachi felt a pair of eyes on him and he opened his own to find Sasuke frowning slightly. "What is it, Otouto?" Itachi asked casually, casting a suspicious look at his brother. Sasuke, who had been treading water due to the fact that his feet could not touch the ground yet, grabbed onto the same rock wall Itachi was leaning against for support.

"You hair is open." Sasuke said, observing Itachi's manly yet soft physique. Itachi raised an eyebrow and replied, 'Is that a problem?"

"No well..." Sasuke started, and glanced down nervously. "You kind of look like... a girl." Itachi stared blankly at his younger brother.

I'm sorry, Nii-san!" Sasuke mumbled quickly. An awkward sort of environment seemed to envelope the two brothers as they both stared at each other in silence. Sasuke would have rather that Itachi yelled at him than feel this intense atmosphere.

Itachi started swimming under the waterfall and out of Sasuke's sight. Sasuke was left in a state of confusion. It was not like Itachi to just let Sasuke be after a major insult like that. Sasuke was about to swim back to shore when he felt a pair of strong hands grip his ankles. The hands pulled Sasuke deep into the water.

Sasuke struggled under the pressure of Itachi's hands, and made strangled gurgling sounds. Just as Sasuke felt as though he could not take it any longer, Itachi pulled him towards the surface and placed him on dry land. Noticing Sasuke's shivering body, Itachi took his dry shirt and put it on Sasuke.

"Not so girly now, am I Otouto?" Itachi said with a small smile. Sasuke's widened eyes turned towards his brother.

"Are you _trying _to kill me?" Sasuke managed to make out. Yet some part of Sasuke knew that Itachi would never intentionally hurt Sasuke... or to damage him permanently, anyways. Itachi was too kind and caring for Sasuke to get mad at him. Itachi fit the role of the perfect older brother, always being there for Sasuke when he needed it most, but still bullying him all the same.

"Naw, just trying to teach you a lesson." Itachi said as he pulled his hair back into a ponytail. Sasuke still continued to look at his brother at disbelief. Itachi sighed. "Otouto, you know that I would never be able to kill you under any circumstances, right?"

"Mmmm hmm." Sasuke grumbled, turning away. "You better watch it, if you make me really angry some day I could kill you, you know!"

Itachi laughed, glancing out into the open water. "We'll see Otouto... we'll see."

"There you boys are, where have you been?" Their smiling mother Mikoto greeted the brothers as they walked through the door. "Dinner is ready on the table!"

Sasuke's stomach growled at the hot and steamy tomato soup on the table. He was about to sit down and gobble the whole thing down when a voice said, "Boy, you better dry yourself up before you sit at my dinner table."

Their father Fugaku entered the kitchen with a glass of wine. To Sasuke's complete dismay, Fugaku had not said a word when Itachi sat down, who was equally as wet as Sasuke.

"Itachi, there is a mission I want you to go on tomorrow." Itachi nodded swiftly and looked down at his food. A wave of unfairness began taking over Sasuke at the way he treated Itachi compared to him. Fugaku frowned as he noticed that his youngest son was still standing in the kitchen. "Well what are you waiting for boy, get dressed!'

Sasuke hurried out of the kitchen. Before he left, his ears did not miss the angry retort Itachi shot at their father, defending Sasuke. The yells of the two Uchiha men could still be heard after Sasuke shut his bedroom door, desperate to block out the sound. A single tear ran down Sasuke's cheek.

What had Sasuke ever done to his father to deserve this treatment? He was at the top of his class, he never asked for much, and yet he was still treated like dirt. Ever since Sasuke was born, he knew that Fugaku favored Itachi over him. One son was all that Fugaku needed, and to him, Sasuke was just a burden.

Sasuke felt his eyes tear up even more. All he had ever wanted was to earn some sort of praise or recognition from his father. That was the one thing that meant the world to Sasuke, and he would do anything to reach that goal. Anything to have his father love him, or to at least to mean something to him.

He did have his mother and Nii-san, but somehow their love and affection never meant as much as his father's. They had always been there for him, especially Itachi. But there was just an empty hole in Sasuke's heart that only the praise of his father could fill.

Sasuke was starting to drift off to sleep, and just as his wandering mind was in between the dream world and reality, banging footsteps were making their way up the stairs. Before Sasuke's conscious fully disappeared, his ears caught a voice mutter, 'I've lost all hope for this pathetic clan."

**Five Years**** later**

The burning sun was baking the town of Konoha as Team 7 walked through the bustling village. A certain blond boy was chattering excitedly about ramen, the boy's rival had his arms crossed and glaring at nothing in particular, their pink haired teammate was yelling at the boy while momentarily glancing at his rival, a blush creeping onto her cheeks, and their sensei had his face buried beneath a book with the title _Make Out Paradise. _

"Come on Kakashi-Sensei, you know you want some!" Naruto said, pointing at _Ichiraku ramen._

Their sensei sighed. "Naruto, aren't you the least bit tired? Anyways, I'm off." Kakashi gave a small wave and dispeared in a puff of smoke. That didn't disencourage Naruto the slightest bit.

"Sakura-Chaaaan, wanna treat me to some ramen?" Naruto turned to Sakura, giving her the puppy dog eyes. A vein twitched in her forehead, and she sent a fist flying to Naruto's head.

"Owww Sakura-Chan, that hurt!" Naruto cried, rubbing his head with tears willowing up in his eyes. Sasuke looked towards his two teammates and scoffed; even though they were both brainless idiots, they never ceased to amuse him.

"I'm leaving." Sasuke announced, and started walking in the opposite direction. Automatically, Sakura's voice called, "Bye Sasuke-Kun!" and another voice mumbled, "Bye teme..."

When Sasuke entered his house, a storming Itachi brushed past him without a word. Their father was standing a few feet away, anger vivid in his furious face. Their mother was standing in a corner, acting as quiet as a mouse.

This was no out-of-the-ordinary predicament, of course. Over the past five years, Sasuke had watched as the relationship between his father and brother grew more and more tense. A heated argument between them was nothing short of the usual daily routine. Sasuke was about to make his way to his room when his father's voice called, "Sasuke, come here for a moment."

Surprised that his father actually wanted to speak with him, Sasuke walked towards him, curiousity lined in every inch of his brain, although his face remained impassive.

"You know where the Uchiha hideout is, I presume?" Fugaku muttered his voice loud enough for Sasuke to hear but too soft for anyone who might be easdropping through the window cracks.

Sasuke nodded. Although there had never been any need for him to visit the Uchiha hideout, it was common knowledge for every member of the Uchiha clan to know it's exact location incase of an emergency.

"Go there tonight. And don't tell anyone about this... especially your brother." And with that, Fugaku walked away as though nothing had happened. Sasuke stood there dumbstruck.

Why was his father showing interest in him now all of a sudden? It was not as though he had done anything out of the ordinary to deserve special attention. _I shouldn't question Otou-san._ Sasuke thought to himself. _I should be grateful that he needs me at all. _A small smile made its way onto Sasuke's face as he realized that his existence finally meant something to his father.

As the sky began to darken, Sasuke climbed out of his window and tip-toed across the outside porch. To Sasuke's luck, a floorboard creaked just as he was passing Itachi's room. Fortunately, Itachi remained as soundless as ever.

Once Sasuke reached the entrance, he quietly entered to find a dimly lit room which consisted of the Uchiha clan's elite members. They were all seated in a circle, and a fire was lit in the middle. Sasuke could make out his mother and father staring at him. Sasuke could not help but feel self-concious as he realized that all eyes were on him; had they all been waiting for him? He felt a twinge at annoyance at his parents who were soundlessly staring at him, not doing anything to make this situation any less uncomfortable for him. The silence was starting to make Sasuke worry, and he could feel sweat collect on his palms. One of the leader's of the Uchiha clan, Kemari Uchiha, suddenly said, "Take a seat, Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes searched the tiny room, and they found an unoccupied chair. He gulped and made his way over, trying to ignore all of the eyes staring at him through the fierce fire. Once Sasuke had taken a seat, his father Fugaku stood up, and all of the eyes had reverted from Sasuke to Fugaku. Sasuke felt relieved; all of the attention was beginning to unnerve him.

"Uchiha Sasuke, the Uchiha Council has to ask a great favor of you. If you complete this task, you will be honored beyond all others." Fugaku said, his voice like cold stone. Many of the surrounding Uchiha nodded in agreement in Fugaku's words. Sasuke was now beginning to feel more curious than scared, although his fear was still at an extreme high.

"We have heard from many reliable sources that Konoha is planning a Coup d'etat against the Uchiha clan. It appears as though they do not trust us anymore and they are planning to have us extinct." Fugaku went on.

Sasuke winced. Not only had this piece of information been completely unexpected, but his father's use of words made it sound as though they were a pack of wolves.

"And how can I help?" Sasuke questioned, speaking for the first time.

"From our sources, we have heard that they are planning to use one person to assassinate all of us secretly... and that person is Uchiha Itachi."

A shiver went down Sasuke's spine, and it had nothing to do with the cool temperature of the cavern. Would Itachi honestly turn his back on his whole family? None of this made any sense.

"You've got to be kidding." Sasuke blurted out. Showing respect to the elite members of the Uchiha clan did not matter anymore; this was his _brother_ they were accusing of treason. He would never be able to hurt a member of his own clan, never.

"It appears so." said Fugaku, unpertubed by his son's reaction. "We do not know the exact moment the Konoha elders plan to put this plan in motion, but we do know that it will be sometime close in the years to come. However, we have planned a counterattack."

"Why do you think that Itachi is a traitor?" Sasuke growled angrily, not having a care in the world for anything else at the moment except for the newfound accusation against his brother.

"We have heard from the spies that we have placed within the council that the traitor is, indeed, Uchiha Itachi." Fugaku explained.

Sasuke remembered his brother's words from a few years years ago, _I've lost all hope for this pathetic clan_. Could his father's accusation actually be true?

"So what do you want me for?" Sasuke questioned, unable to stop his voice from shaking.

"Itachi has been constantly on his guard around every Uchiha incase information about the coup d'etat got out. Every member... except you. We do not want to have to do this before it is absolutely necessary but when the time comes, we need to to kill Uchiha Itachi."

Sasuke felt his insides go hollow. "W-what?" He said, frozen with shock.

"We understand that this is a difficult task, but it is the only way. He has never put up his guard against you, and every member of the Uchiha clan has full confidence that you will be able to complete this task. Uchiha Sasuke, will you do it?"

Sasuke barely minded the eyes piercing him now; his mind was completely dumbstruck. He had barely processed the fact that Itachi had turned traitor, and now they had chosen him to kill Itachi? Sasuke, of all people. Why couldn't they have chosen someone stronger?

_Because that is what Itachi would expect_. A small voice in the back of his mind answered for him. Sure, but why did they even have to kill Itachi in the first place?

_To save the Uchiha clan_. The same voice answered. Sasuke felt his insides turn to water as he realized what this all meant; the lives of hundreds of people suddenly depended on him. But not only that, his father actually needed him.

Never before had Fugaku counted on Sasuke, let alone depend on him for something as major as saving the Uchiha clan. This was the one thing that Sasuke had always wanted since the day he was born; attention from his father. Sasuke remembered all those days when he would watch Fugaku training Itachi, working so hard to make him the best Shinobi he could be. And then he would pass by Sasuke as though he didn't even exist.

But now, his father actually believed in him. He believed that Sasuke could do practically the impossible, and that meant the world to him. Sasuke's mind suddenly filled with pictures of everyone calling him the Uchiha Savior, lifting him up in the air. His father would have a huge smile on his face and he would say, "That's my boy."

There was one huge piece of that picture that would be missing though. Itachi, his caring, older brother who had always been there for him when no one else was. He was his inspiration, the one who could always count on. Itachi was his best friend. How could he kill him? He loved him too much.

_But he is a traitor_. The little voice said_. He would kill you, so why would you spare him when he wouldn't spare you? Besides, the Konoha Elders might not even follow through with this plan, but wouldn't it be nice to actually mean something to your father_?

Sasuke's subconscious had way too much common sense for its own good. In the end, it would be the reasonable thing would be to do, no matter how much it hurt.

Sasuke looked around at room, where everyone's breath was held, dying to hear his answer. Sasuke could see the tears dripping down his mother's face. He then moved his eyes to his father, who was wearing an expression of pure determination. Sasuke could practically read his mind_. I know you'll do the right thing, son_.

"I'll do it."

A drowsy Sasuke climbed out of bed, his growling stomach eager to have some breakfast. A glance at his reflection in the mirror told him that he needed to put a shirt on. His bare, well-toned stomach made girls faint when they caught a glimpse of him...literally.

"Good morning Oka-san." Sasuke mumbled as he took a seat, spreading a pound of cream cheese over his bagel.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun." A watery voice called from the fridge. Sasuke looked up surprised to find his mother's eyes filled with tears. He hadn't seen her cry in so long... what was going on?

"Wha-" Sasuke started, his mouth full of bagel when a voice interrupted him. "Sasuke, can you come over here for a moment?"

Sasuke looked towards the kitchen corner to find his father, an expression of pure solemnity masking his face. Sasuke got up, still holding his bagel and followed his father into the guest room.

"Sasuke, it has to happen today." Fugaku let out blandly. "The time has come; will you still be able to do it?"

Sasuke was thoroughly shocked; for the past four years, he had heard no other mention of his mission. Sure, he had trained himself endlessly and was one of the strongest shinobi of Konoha now, but he had not expected for this to be sprung on him at a moment's notice.

However, he had to keep his word. So many people depended on him and he could not chicken out at the last moment. Sasuke nodded swiftly and his father put his hand on his shoulder.

"That's my boy."

He walked off without another word, leaving a frozen Sasuke standing by himself. Those were the words he had longed to hear his whole life... and his dream had finally come true.

"I won't let you down, Otou-san." Sasuke whispered as he walked back towards the kitchen. He sat down at continued eating when the door opened and none other than Itachi walked in. Their mother hurried out of the kitchen, desperate to hide her tears.

"Good morning, Itachi." Their father said, his face solemn and unreadable. Sasuke didn't know why, but his heart was beating faster than ever.

"Good morning, father." Itachi replied, not even casting a look in Fugaku's direction. As he sat down, Sasuke decided to take advantage of the situation.

"Itachi, will you be able to help me with my training today?" Sasuke asked, unable to meet Itachi's eyes. Fugaku kept glancing from Sasuke to Itachi, a trace of worry visible in his expression.

"Of course I can, Sasuke." Itachi said, smiling at his younger brother. Sasuke was honestly sure that his heart was bleeding right about now. How much longer could he put up this false pretense?

After the brothers had finished, they walked out the door to begin their training, Itachi leading the way. As they were about to walk out the door, Sasuke looked behind him to see his father staring at his brother, silent tears running down his face.

"I'm sorry that I've been so busy lately, Otouto. It's a shame that we don't see each other more often." Itachi said as they jumped from tree to tree in the woods. Sasuke knew exactly where they were going; the waterfall that described their whole childhood.

"Yeah... I've really missed you, Itachi." Sasuke replied, surprised that his emotions were not visible in his voice. He was using all of his restraint to make his outer appearance remain impassive.

"What, are you too old to refer to me as Nii-san now? Too _manly?_" Itachi teased, looking back and smirking at Sasuke.

They were nearing their childhood hideout now, and Sasuke knew that he had to do it soon.

A fake laugh escaped Sasuke's lips. "Of course not, _Nii-san._ After all, you'll always be my big brother."

Itachi laughed along with Sasuke, and Sasuke's shaking hands gripped his sword kept in his belt; it was now or never.

"I'm sorry, Nii-san." Sasuke whispered as he charged towards Itachi's open back.

"Sasuke, what are you t-" Itachi was cut off as the sharp, long silver pierced his chest from behind. His eyes widened in shock, and his body started soaring toward the hard dirt floor.

Regret immediately poured into Sasuke as he caught Itachi midway through his fall and placed him on a large tree branch. Sasuke felt his heart thump wildly as he saw his aniki drowning in his own blood.

"Itachi..." Sasuke whispered, unable to fight the tears that were now swimming down his face. He used a hand to wipe them away, but they continued coming down harder than ever.

A smile broke out over Itachi's face. "Good job Sasuke, you are the savior of the Uchiha clan. You will be known as a hero forever... I am so proud of you."

"Itachi n-no, this was a mistake." Sasuke cried, stripping off his shirt to try and clot the blood covering his brother. Seconds later his shirt was immediately soaked in blood; there was just too much.

"I love you, Otouto." And with that, Itachi's eyes shut close, the smile still present on his face.

Sasuke's heart had completely stopped. His eyes scrunched up, and his hands grabbed Itachi's shirt as he buried his face inside it. Endless tears and sobs were pouring from him, and he did nothing to prevent them.

"I made a mistake, please don't hurt my Nii-san, PLEASE!" Sasuke wailed, desperate to make his voice heard to the heavens above. "PLEASE!"

It wasn't worth it... his brother's life for his father's affection? No, not even the hundreds of lives put together he had saved were worth the life of Itachi, none of them.

"Aniki...Aniki... ITACHI!" Sasuke yelled, the world a blur now from his eyes covered in tears.

Itachi was gone now. And nothing he could do, _nothing,_ would ever bring him back. He didn't deserve to live, he was just another one of those selfish excuses for a human being when in reality, he was a monster.

Sasuke's hands trembled as he picked his sword. "Take me to hell." He whispered as he stuck the already blood-covered sword straight into his own heart. His lifeless body draped over the chest of his brother.

Somehow, the word of their deaths and the planned massacres spread quickly. When the village found out about the love the two brothers possessed and how they died for each other, all of the villagers, even those who had never known them, mourned constantly for them. Endless tears were poured, and the whole village mourned for weeks, months, and possibly years. A person walking the streets of Konoha would find a pink-haired girl seeking the comfort of a blond boy, who felt as though his world around him had stopped.

The Konoha Council and the Uchiha clan had reached an agreement in the end. Should lives really be lost, all for their own selfish honor? Everyone agreed that everything should be left at peace, and that no more souls should be harmed. It was amazing how they could only realize that peace could not be brought by war at the expense of the loss of two loving brothers.

In years later, the story would be told of the two heroes who died for the peace of the village, and future generations would be inspired. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke, the ones who had saved the village from entering a time of hopelessness and despair.

The village turned into a bright and happy place, void of war and loss. The sun began to shine brighter and the flowers bloomed faster. However, one waterfall buried in the deep woods of Konoha dried up, never streaming water again.

**A/n: Reviews would be appreciated :D. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
